1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in substructures for athletic flooring systems.
More particularly, this invention relates to substructures for anchored resilient athletic systems that are ventilatable and DIN certifiable.
Still more particularly, this invention relates to the substructures described above wherein the substructure is built up of prefabricated ladder-shaped subassemblies that are interconnected and anchored to a base so as to form a rapidly installable low cost subfloor for athletic flooring systems.
Still more particularly, this invention relates to the substructures described above wherein the ladder-shaped subassemblies are positioned on a base so that the long members of one subassembly are spaced apart from and parallel to the long members of an adjacent subassembly so that approximately one fourth of the base area is not covered by the subassemblies.
2. Prior Art
The athletic flooring art abounds with inventions and innovations that have advanced the athletic flooring technologies in the last two decades. In the 1980s standards for some of the measurable physical properties of such flooring systems were developed and published in a set of standards that became well known in the industry as the DIN standards. Flooring systems that meet these standards are referred to as DIN certifiable.
The instant inventor""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,917 (917) which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, teaches a Fixed Resilient Sleeper Athletic Flooring System. The flooring system of the 917 patent is DIN certifiable and the DIN 18032 Part 2 requirements are disclosed therein along with a brief discussion of the categories used and the nature of the data gathered for DIN certification. DIN certification has become well known in the flooring art and the disclosures of the 917 patent will not be reproduced herein.
The 917 patent teaches a sleeper that is in the order of two inches thick by three inches wide and is provided with transverse saw kerfs to impart flexibility to the sleeper and the sleeper is provided with counterbored holes to receive the sleeved anchors with sufficient clearance for the sleeper to flex downward without the top of the anchor engaging overlaying subfloor. The sleeper of the 917 patent can serve to provide the resilience and flexibility needed in a floor to obtain DIN certification. The sleeper of the 917 patent works well for its intended purposes but its use requires a significant amount of labor and materials in its fabrication and installation.
The instant inventor""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,621 (621) teaches a Ventilated Athletic Flooring System. The capacity to ventilate a subflooring structure is desirable in situations where moisture may find its way beneath an athletic floor with the potential to damage the athletic floor.
The (621) patent teaches the use of a humidistat and an air mover to ventilate a subflooring structure. The improved subfloor of this invention provides a superior open subflooring structure that promotes the flow of drying air into and out of the subflooring structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,965 (965) to Jargenson et al. teaches the use of prefabricated subflooring modules. Each module is formed of cross laid joists having resilient members interposed between the joists at their intersections. The flooring structure of the 965 patent is large and requires significant amounts of labor and materials for its fabrication and installation. The 965 patents teaches modules joined to each other on all sides.
The prior art abounds in recent patents that employ some of the means used in the subflooring structures of this invention. However, viewed collectively, they cannot provide the superior quality subfloor obtainable with this invention at the low cost of materials and labor obtainable with this invention.
The invention is for a subflooring system for athletic floors wherein the subfloor is assembled of a multiplicity of ladder-shaped subassemblies wherein each subassembly has two long boards as top nailing strips, and a multiplicity of cross boards secured under the long boards as anchor strips and resilient pads secured under the cross boards. The subfloor is assembled using a multiplicity of the subflooring subassemblies wherein the long boards of the subassembly are joined end to end and the subassemblies are laid so that their long boards are parallel and uniformly spaced apart. The subassemblies are maintained in position by means of anchors, which limit the horizontal displacement of the subfloor assembly while permitting downward flexure of the floor on the pads and at the same time restraining the upward rebound of the floor.